Ugadi celebrated with fervour in Karnataka; markets bustle, temples see heavy footfall
Bengaluru (PTI): Yugadi, marking the Kannada New Year, was celebrated across Karnataka on Thursday with traditional fervour and gaiety, with people thronging temples and marketplaces to usher in the festival.
Markets across the capital city witnessed heavy rush since early morning, as people purchased flowers, raw mangoes, fruits and other festive essentials.
The iconic KR Market here has been witnessing large crowds for the past two days, with vendors reporting brisk business amid the festive surge.
ALSO READ: Fire breaks out at Trade and Taxes building in Delhi
The rains for the past two days in Bengaluru could not diminish the festive mood of the city.
The KR Market was the bustling hotspot on Thursday morning.
“There is huge rush of people for the past two days and this morning it peaked,” Manjunath, a flower vendor at the market said, adding that demand for mango leaves and flowers remained high.
Homes were decked up with fresh ‘Toranas’ made of mango leaves, while courtyards were adorned with colourful rangoli designs as part of the celebrations.
Families prepared traditional delicacies and followed customary rituals associated with the festival.
Devotees visited temples in large numbers to offer special prayers and seek blessings for prosperity and well-being in the new year.
“We prayed for health, happiness and a good year ahead,” V Jyothi, who visited the centuries old Vasantha Vallabharaya Swamy Temple in Bengaluru South told PTI.
The festive spirit was visible across the state, with cultural and religious activities adding to the celebratory mood.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
ED arrests Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora in fresh PMLA case
New Delhi/Chandigarh (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday arrested Punjab industries minister Sanjeev Arora in a fresh money laundering case against him and some entities allegedly linked to him, officials said.
Arora was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after raids were conducted at his official residence in Chandigarh since early morning, they added.
Officials claimed Arora (62) was "non-cooperative" during the probe. He is expected to be produced before a local court on Saturday, where the agency will seek his custody for a detailed interrogation.
The ED carried out the searches at five premises across north India as part of the action.
The raids also covered two premises in Delhi and that of a company named Hampton Sky Realty Ltd in Gurugram's Udyog Vihar.
The searches were launched after the central agency registered a fresh case under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said.
